Asakusa is at its best after dark, when this three-hour food walk pairs old downtown comfort food with sake, snacks, and a glowing Senso-ji Temple. You will try 12 Japanese dishes, including monjayaki, yakisoba, okonomiyaki, convenience-store ice cream, and fish-shaped taiyaki. I like the mix of local restaurants and casual street food, and I like…
Tokyo’s Kangfu Beauty & Body Care Salon offers more than a standard rubdown. Depending on your package, you can have facial contours worked by hand, your scalp washed with micro-bubbles, or your pelvis and posture adjusted after days of sightseeing. The focus is hands-on body care, not sightseeing. I like the small-group setting of up…
The main attraction here is a lively comparison of Japanese sake from across the country alongside sushi made with premium tuna from Yamayuki, one of Japan’s top wholesalers. In 90 minutes, you get a compact introduction to two pillars of Japanese food culture, right in central Roppongi. I like the chance to taste sake from…
Tokyo is at its best before the crowds build, and this tour makes good use of those early hours. You begin with the calm paths of Meiji Shrine, move to sushi and sashimi at Tsukiji Outer Market, then finish among the temples, snack stalls, and old streets of Asakusa. I like the smart mix of…
The big draw is Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, where wild Japanese macaques gather around natural hot springs. In winter, the walk through the snowy Jigokudani Valley can be as memorable as the monkeys themselves. Add Zenko-ji Temple, old samurai streets, or Obuse’s Hokusai Museum, and you get a full day of northern Japan without changing…
Tokyo’s LGBTQ story comes into focus when you move between Asakusa and Shinjuku 2-chome, two districts that reveal very different sides of the city. You’ll discuss Japan’s past attitudes toward queer life, then see how bars, customs, and local spaces shape the present. I like the small groups, limited to six, and the way the…
The main draw here is simple: you ride through Tokyo in a tuned JDM car and finish at Daikoku Parking Area, Japan’s famous gathering place for car fans. The route links Akihabara, the Wangan expressway, Rainbow Bridge, A-PIT Super Autobacs, Yokohama, and Tokyo Tower in about four hours. I like the way this experience puts…
Mount Fuji is the star here, but the day works because you see several very different sides of the mountain in one outing. You get a high viewpoint at the 5th Station or Oishi Park, clear spring-fed ponds at Oshino Hakkai, and the famous pagoda view from Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine. I like the easy…
The best thing about this private Mt. Fuji and Hakone day tour is control. You ride with your own English and Japanese-speaking driver, leave from your Tokyo hotel, and choose the mix of mountain views, shrines, volcanic scenery, art, shopping, and lakes that suits your group. I especially like the clean air-conditioned vehicle and the…
Shinbashi after dark is less about famous sights and more about seeing where Tokyo’s office workers eat, drink, and let go of the day. This three-hour walk leads you through narrow local streets for ramen, seared Wagyu, regional sake, dessert, and the small pubs that give the district its character. I like the small group…
Insider guides, cultural deep-dives and current-affairs reporting on Tokyo and Japan, written by people who live here and go to the places they write about.